Automatic coin selector



Jan. 26, 1965 I f z E. H. DANIELSON ETAL AUTOMATIC COIN SELECTOR Filed Nov. 22, 1963 United States Patent 3,167,165 AUTGMATEC Ctllhl SELECTUR Ellsworth H. Danielson, ilveriand Park, Kane, and Wilbur C. McNeely, Kansas (Iity, Mo, assignors to Selectivend Corporation, a. corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 325,618 4- (Ilaims. (@l. 194-9) This invention relates to improvements in coin distributors and refers more particularly to a coin apportioning mechanism employed with coin operated vending and service machines. The distributor separates the coins deposited in, and used for, making purchases from a vending machine or obtaining services from a service machine and directs the coins automatically according to a predetermined apportionment to separate collection boxes.

The automatic coin distributor which is the subject of this invention is an electromechanical one-way or unidirectional device operating upon a somewhat different principle than those which have preceded in this art.

It is contemplated that the instant invention may be used in conjunction with coin operated vending equipment such as bottle and/ or can vendors, post-mix vendors, carton vendors, washers, dryers and other types of coin operated devices.

Heretofore attempts have been made to devise a satis factory automatic coin apportioning device to obtain accuracy and maintain simplicity while at the same time keeping costs of manufacture within bounds is a goal yet to be attained.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a simple automatic device which separates coins deposited in a vending machine according to predetermined proportions or according to an established percentage.

2 Another object is to provide a mechanism which is not only automatic but is accurate in its coin distribution and requires little or no servicing after once adjusted or set.

A; further object is to provide a mechanism which is easily adjusted to vary the apportionment or percentage distribution of the coin input to the vending apparatus.

Still another object is to provide a device that is readily adapted to use with coin changing machines and other electrical accessories used in vending and service machines of all types.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views, there is shown a typical embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a selector or distributor embodying the invention with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1 with parts broken away.

FIG. 3 is a view takenalong the lines 33 in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram of an electrical circuit usable with the distributor.

Referring to the drawings, adjacent coin chute It is mounted vending switch 11 which has a pivoted hooked actuating arm 12 extending into slot 13 of coin chute 16. A coin which has actuated the arm from its full line position to the dotted line position is shown at 14. Coin chute it) is divided at its lower end into separate secondary chutes or ducts Mia and ltlb, the former connected to collection box 15, the latter to collection box 16.

In chute adjacent the junction of the secondary ducts do and lllb is pivoted on cam follower 17 a diverter or gate 18 whose upper end may be swung from one side of the duct ill to the other directing coins to duct 1% and collection box 16 when in its full line position and to "ice duct Ella and collection box 15 when in its dotted line position. The pivoting or tipping of diverter 18 from side to side in chute lit is achieved by its oscillation on pivot 17a, which is a part of cam follower 1'7. Movement of the diverter upon pivot 17a is effected by the action of cam follower 17 which rides upon the contour of a two-part cam whose parts are numbered 19 and 1%, respectively. Cam 19 is mounted fixedly with a nylon bushing 2t} on shaft 21. Integrally formed with the bushing and rotatable with the shaft is a ratchet wheel 22 and back up disk 23 for coil spring 24.

Part 119 of the cam is preferably made of fiber or other solid material, with a detent or camway cut into its circumferential edge over an arc of substantially 180. This cam part 19' is also perforated with a plurality of holes, as shown in FIG. 2, through an arc of substantially 180 in such fashion that a line drawn diametrically across the cam part and through the end holes of the arc bisects the camway on one side and the lobe or high edge of the cam on the opposite side.

Cam part 19a is preferably formed of a translucent plastic such as nylon, with a camway or detent cut into its circumferential edge over an arc of substantially 180 in the same manner as cam part 1?. On the exposed side surface of the cam part 1% and adjacent the circumferential lobe of this cam are embossed, or otherwise stenciled, numerals spaced apart and positioned to designate the individual holes in cam part w by number. On the face of cam part 19a abutting cam part 19 is a projection or pin 1%, shown best on the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. The cam parts are fixedly held together in nonrotative en agement by the mating of pin 1% with a reselected hole in cam part 19 and the pressure exerted by coil spring 2 upon the exposed surface of cam part 19a. Adjustment of the cam parts to shorten or lengthen the camway or detent controlling the shifting of gate 18 in chute ill is accomplished by withdrawing cam part 1% along the shaft 21 out of engagement with cam part 1% by compressing spring 24' and rotating it in either direction so that the pin 19:) engages one of the holes in cam part 19.

r This adjustment permits the coin separation according to any desired percentage, as hereinafter explained.

The device shown in the drawings is designed for use in a bottle vending machine, and is indexed on the basis of a twelve-bottle case. For this purpose there are twelve I teeth in the ratchet wheel and seven holes incam part 19 which is fixedly mounted on shaft 21. Solenoid 25 mounted on a suitable bracket 26 is energized and actuated by vend switch 11. As shown, each coin passing through chute Ill operates the vend switch which in turn energizes the solenoid rocking arm 27 downwardly against the tension of coil spring 28. The end of bracket 26 is bent upwardly to form a support for pivoted arm 27 and horizontally as shown at 2a to form a stop against the up.- ward movement of arm 27 when the solenoid or electromagnet 25 'is deenergized In a slot fitted in the outer free end of actuating arm 27 is a U-shaped clip 29, one end of which is somewhat longer than the other. Beneath the clip is a spring 30 which serves to tip it slightly in order that the long end of the clip will properly engage the teeth of the ratchet upon the functioning of actuating arm 27. The short end of the clip fits against a separate tooth of the ratchet when the arm is actuated, assuring accurate and positive rotative action of the ratchet wheel at each pulsation of the arm. in other words, the two ends of the clip accurately gauge the throw or are through which the ratchet wheel rotates upon each pulsing of the actuating arm. For this purpose there are twelve teeth on the ratchet wheel and seven holes in cam part 19. Solenoid 25 which is a part of the relay is mounted on a suitable bracket 26 and is energized to actuate arm 27 by vend switch 11. As shown, each coin passing through chute operates the vend switch which closes the electric circuit shown in FIG. 5 pulsing solenoid and rocker arm 27 downwardly against the upward tension of coil spring 28. As noted the end of bracket 26 is bent back as shown at 2611 to form a stop against the upward movement of arm 27 when the solenoid or electromagnet 25 is deenergized.

When the percentage of coin take to the alternate collection box is based on a twenty-four bottle case, a ratchet wheel with twenty-four teeth would be used and the holes in cam part 19 would be correspondingly increased. Thus it will be seen that by varying the number of ratchet wheel teeth and cam adjustment holes accordingly any desired percentage apportionment of the coins fed to a vending machine can be obtained.

A simple electrical circuit as shown in FIG. 5 is sufficient to operate the device. In the circuit including lines 30 and 30a, receiving electric energy from any convenient source not shown, are interposed vend switch 11 and the solenoid operated relay 25.

The use of the automatic coin selector or distributor is as follows: After the percentage apportionment of receipts to the coin operated machine in which the device is to be used has been determined, cam parts 19 and 19a are adjusted with respect to each other so the cam follower 17 rides the arc of the camway or detent for the number of relay impulses necessary to divert the proper number of coins to collection box 16 according to such established percentage. The selector is then mounted in a coin operated vending or service machine and its electric circuit connected into that of the coin machine so the vend switch'impulses the solenoid of the relay, as shown in FIG. 5.

The diversion of coins to collection box 16 is produced by the tipping of gate 18 on its pivot 1711 through the action of cam follower 17 riding upon the detent of the cam as shown in FIG. 2. As long as the follower 17 rides the detent or camway, coins fed to the machine are diverted to box 16 and when the follower rides on the lobe or high edge of the cam the gate is shifted to the dotted line position in FIG. 2 and coins are then directed to collection box 15.

If a low percentage of coins is to be diverted the cam parts are adjusted so a short detent or camway is formed at the edges of the cam disks and the follower rides the detent for only a single or a few impulses of the solenoid and actuating arm. Increasing the length of the detent increases proportionately the coins directed and percentage of the take directed to the alternate coin box 16.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention is Well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure of the device.

' It will be understood'that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

' As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a coin distributor mechanism for separating coins deposited in a vending machine according to a predetermined established percentage, the combination with a primary coin chute,

secondary coin chutes joined to the primary chute,

separate coin collection boxes connected to each of the secondary chutes,

a diverter in the primary chute above the junctureof the primary and secondary chutes operable to direct the passage of coins from the primary chute to either of the secondary chutes and their respective coin boxes,

a vend switch in the primary chute above the diverter actuated by the passage of coins through said chute,

an electromechanical stepper and diverter assembly including a single electromagnet pulsed by the vend switch,

an arm actuated by the electromagnet,

a ratchet wheel and cam mounted on a common shaft intermittently rotated through an arc of its cycle by engagement of the arm with successive teeth of the ratchet wheel,

a mechanical means riding the cam contour an operatively connected to the diverter whereby coins fed to the primary chute are automatically distributed to the respective boxes according to the predetermined established percentage.

2. A coin distributor as in claim 1, wherein the cam is in two parts rotatively adjustable on said shaft,

mating members on the respective cam parts for shifting said parts to a plurality of adjusted positions whereby the cam actuated diverter separates the coins fed to the primary chute according to the predetermined established percentage.

3. A coin distributor as in claim 1, wherein one part of the cam is fixedly mounted and the other movably mounted on said shaft,

. mating members on the respective cam parts adapted to be engaged in a plurality of adjusted positions to vary the length of the cam contour whereby the diverter is actuated to separate the coins fed to the primary chute according to the predetermined established percentage.

4. A coin distributor as in claim 1, wherein the cam comprises two abutting disks with camways along of their circumferential edges,

said disks rotatively adjustable to form a single camway along the edges of the disks having an arc length from zero to 180.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,708 6/37 Maitland.

2,308,963 1/43 Davis 74-568 3,104,001 9/63 Barnhart et al 1949 3,106,849 10/63 Valleau 74142 3,109,528 11/63 Barnhart 194-4 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COIN DISTRIBUTOR MECHANISM FOR SEPARATING COINS DEPOSITED IN A VENDING MACHINE ACCORDING TO A PREDETERMINED ESTABLISHED PERCENTAGE, THE COMBINATION WITH A PRIMARY COIN CHUTE, SECONDARY COIN CHUTES JOINED TO THE PRIMARY CHUTE, SEPARATE COIN COLLECTION BOXES CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE SECONDARY CHUTES, A DIVERTER IN THE PRIMARY CHUTE ABOVE THE JUNCTURE OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CHUTES OPERABLE TO DIRECT THE PASSAGE OF COINS FROM THE PRIMARY CHUTE TO EITHER OF THE SECONDARY CHUTES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COIN BOXES, A VEND SWITCH IN THE PRIMARY CHUTE ABOVE THE DIVERTER ACTUATED BY THE PASSAGE OF COINS THROUGH SAID CHUTE, AN ELECTROMECHANICAL STEPPER AND DIVERTER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SINGLE ELECTROMAGNET PULSED BY THE VEND SWITCH, AN ARM ACTUATED BY TEH ELECTROMAGNET, A RATCHET WHEEL AND CAM MOUNTED ON A COMMON SHAFT INTERMITTENTLY ROTATED THROUGH AN ARC OF ITS CYCLE BY ENGAGEMENT OF THE ARM WITH SUCCESSIVE TEETH OF THE RATCHET WHEEL, A MECHANICAL MEANS RIDING THE CAM CONTOUR AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE DIVERTER WHEREBY COINS FED TO THE PRIMARY CHUTE ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE RESPECTIVE BOXES ACCORDING TO THE PREDETERMINED ESTABLISHED PERCENTAGE. 